


Of Calculus and Kaiju Groupies

by NeverAndAlways



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Gen, Implied Relationships, Implied Slash, M/M, Raleigh's POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-10
Updated: 2014-06-10
Packaged: 2018-02-04 02:50:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1763383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeverAndAlways/pseuds/NeverAndAlways
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raleigh Becket muses on the relationship between the Shatterdome's resident scientists.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Calculus and Kaiju Groupies

Doctor Gottlieb and Doctor Geiszler were a couple. Raleigh had suspected it soon after meeting the two scientists, but now there was no doubt; there were little things that showed, here and there...

In the beginning, when everyone was still getting settled and trying to feel comfortable in the hugeness of the Shatterdome, the scientists seemed to be the only ones who actually knew each other. During visits to the K-Science lab, Raleigh would watch as they bustled around and squabbled like an old married couple. It was strangely endearing. For a while it seemed that they hated each other, and he wondered how they were able to work so closely. But no, he decided; everyone was on-edge from the kaiju attacks. That had to be it. The scientists worked too well together for people who hated each other's guts.

And the more time Raleigh spent around the duo, the more he saw that his hunch had been right: Gottlieb and Geiszler were truly a team. Newton would discover something new in his studies and relay it to Hermann, who would edit his calculations to fit, and back and forth they went. They balanced each other out. Gottlieb was the left brain, logical and calm; Geiszler was the right brain, creative and excitable.

But it was the subtle things, things that you might miss if you didn't know the pair, that showed how they really felt about each other. Things like Newton resting his hand on the small of Hermann's back when they stood together, or laying his hand atop Hermann's as the man held his cane in an almost white-knuckle grip, or the way Hermann would sometimes lean against Newton and watch him work. The doodles that appeared at the edges of Hermann's chalkboards were also a testament to their relationship; had anyone else dared to draw on his chalkboards, Hermann would be furious, but he seemed to accept the wobbly stick-figure kaiju- and even wrote around them. There were also...not-so-subtle things, like Hermann and Newton showing up late to a meeting, red-faced and flustered, Newton's glasses askew and Hermann's shirt half-tucked-in. Or the muffled oaths and rythmic thumping that could sometimes be heard from either man's quarters late at night.

~**  ◇◆◇  **~

One event in particular stood out in Raleigh's mind, from the day Newton had attempted to Drift with a piece of kaiju brain. Raleigh had gone to the K-Science lab to check on the scientists shortly after hearing of the incident; when he entered the lab, he found only Hermann, sitting on a stool with his head in his hands. Hermann had shooed Raleigh away in short order, but he noticed- in the brief glimpse he got of the man- that his face was swollen and red. He'd been crying. The guy rarely showed any emotion, aside from irritability, and that sudden display was very telling; you certainly don't cry over someone you hate.

~**  ◇◆◇  **~

The final convincing blow came on the day the Breach was closed. Everyone- that is, everyone who had survived- had gathered in the Shatterdome mess hall for a last minute, adrenaline-fueled celebration (which Tendo later dubbed the Holy Shit We're Not Dead party). The place smelled of sweat and diesel fuel and blood, and the atmosphere was bright- but only in the way that broken glass is bright. Raleigh and Mako were wandering the room, still in their Jaeger suits, when Raleigh spied a couple sitting in the corner. At first he thought it was just a pair of engineers- but as he looked, he recognized Gottlieb's bowl cut hair and green parka, and Geiszler's tattoos and horn-rimmed glasses. They were sitting on the floor; Hermann's long legs were stretched out in front, and Newton sat curled up beside him, his head nestled into the crook of the older man's neck. Both men wore the glazed, brittle look that comes from too much adrenaline and too little sleep. Newton was sporting a long streak of dried blood from nose to chin, and a crack spiderwebbed across one lens of his glasses. Hermann was pale and haggard, with dark circles beneath his eyes. They were talking, softly. Hermann said something to Newton; the scientist laughed, and sat up long enough to kiss him before settling back down.

By his side, Mako made a thoughtful noise. "I always wondered about those two," mused the young woman.

Raleigh smiled a little. "I never did."

~**  ☆☆☆  **~

 

 


End file.
